Computer systems generally include a computer housing having a motherboard, a processor, a hard drive, random access memory (RAM), a disk drive (e.g., a floppy drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-ROM drive, a tape drive, etc.), communication ports, a cooling system (e.g., a fan), a power supply, a modem, a network device, an audio assembly (e.g., a sound card, a speaker, etc.), and various other devices. Many of these devices have a modular housing or structure, which is removably inserted into a device slot in the computer system. In desktop computers, these modular devices are typically attached to the computer chassis via screws. In portable computers, these modular devices may be attached via screws or a combination of latches and release mechanisms. For example, the modular device may have a lever to release a latch mechanism, while the portable computer has a lever to push the modular device out of the device slot. In servers and other large-scale systems, a plurality of modular devices may be inserted into adjacent slots, making it difficult to use any sort of quick release mechanism. For example, the server may have multiple fans disposed side by side. Due to limited space, lateral latch and release mechanisms may not be possible for such a configuration.
Accordingly, a technique is needed for releasing a modular device from an accessible side of the modular device. More particularly, it would be advantageous to provide a tool-free release assembly, which may be activated to release a tool-free latch assembly for the modular device. It would also be advantageous to incorporate a device release mechanism into the tool-free release assembly to facilitate physical removal of the modular device from a receptacle.